Oligometastatic NSCLC: the changing role of surgery

There is a very limited role for pulmonary resection in the management of NSCLC that has already metastasized systemically. Well selected individuals who present with limited metastatic disease (oligometastases) to a single organ may be considered for resection or an alternative local therapy to both the lung and the extrapulmonary site in rare instances where a thorough metastatic evaluation fails to reveal other foci of disease. This evaluation must include a negative mediastinoscopy.